Automatic venting and sealing draw-off fitting.



J. L. FATE.

AUTOMATIG VENTING AND SEALING DRAW-0FP FITTING.

APPLICATION rum) 11110. 7, 190a.

' 953 027" Patented Mar. 29, 1910.

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JOHN L. FATE, OF CHICAGO, ILIAINOIS.

AUTOMATIC VENTING AND SEALING DRAW-OFF FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 7, 1908. Serial No. 466,265.

' drawing 01f liquid from closed or air tight receptacles and havingmeans to automatically vent the receptacle during the outflow of liquidtherefrom and arranged to automatically seal the venting means when thefiow of liquid through the draw-off device is stopped.

My invention, which embraces an automatically venting and automaticallysealing device, may be embodiedin a coupling fitting adapted toconstitute a connection between a draw-off faucet or cook and the receptacle from which liquid is to be drawn,

or it may be embodied in and arranged to constitute a part of thedraw-off faucet or cock itself.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings :-Figure l is a side elevation of a receptacle equippedwith a drawoif fitting embodying my lnvention. Fig. 2 is a verticalsection taken through the part of the device in which is embodied theself venting and sealing features of the device. Fig. 3 is a detailsection taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a section similar toFig. 2, showing a modification. Fig. 5 is a similar section showing afurther modification.

As shown in the drawings, 10 designates a receptacle for liquid which isnormally air tight except at the point of withdrawal of the liquidtherefrom, at which point air is admitted as the liquid is withdrawn.

11 designates a faucet or draw-off cock connected with the tank throughthe medium of a fitting 12, which, as herein shown, is made separatefrom the faucet and constitutes a coupling or connection between thefaucet and receptacle. Said faucet or cock may be of any suitable orpreferred construction.

The fitting 12 may be made an integral part of the faucet or may be madea part separate therefrom and connected therewith by the screw -threadedconnection herein shown. Said fitting 12 is made hollow to constitute aconduit 14: through which liquid passes from the receptacle to thefaucet proper. It is provided with an intake branch 15 which extendsthrough and may have screw-threaded engagement with the wall of thereceptacle 10 and with an outlet branch 16 for communication with thefaucet. As herein shown, the branches l5 and 16 of the fitting areoffset from each other, the outlet branch 16, from which leads thefaucet 11, being located at a level below the intake branch 15 thereof.

17 (Figs. 2 and 3) designates a vent passage which is located at oneside of the fitting and communicates with the interior of the fittingthrough an opening 18 located at a point above the discharge end of thefitting, or the faucet 11. The said opening 18 is shown as located atthe level of the lower end of the vent passage. The other end 20 of thevent passage opens to the atmosphere, whereby air may pass to theinterior of the fitting and to the tank when llqlllld is being withdrawnfrom the receptac e.

WVhen the cock or faucet is open the liquid is free to flow by gravityfrom the receptacle 10 through the fitting and faucet, and duringwithdrawal of the liquid air passes through the passage 17 and thefitting into the receptacle to vent the latter. hen the faucet isclosed, however, the liquid fills the fitting 12 and rises in the inneror lower end of the vent passage 17 to a point above the openingthereof, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby the vent passage is sealedagainst the entrance of air therethrough to the fitting and receptacle.When the seal is thus effected no air can pass into the receptacle, andtherefore no liquid will pass from the receptacle through the onlypassage which is at that time open, to-wit, the vent passage 17. Thus itwill be seen that the draw-ofi fitting and receptacle is effectuallysealed against the entrance of air at all times when the faucet 11, oran equivalent closure by which the flow of liquid from the receptacle iscontrolled, is closed. When the faucet 11 or its equivalent is opened topermit the discharge of liquid from the receptacle the liquid will bedrawn from the vent passage, thus uncovering the opening 18 andpermitofsaid passage.

- matter falling into the vent ting air to pass into the receptacle tovent the same during the withdrawal of the liquid therefrom.

In the formof device shown in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, the vent passage17 extends upwardly from the opening 18 and inwardly toward the wall ofthe cask, terminating a distance short of the cask at the point 20. Thelocation of the inlet or intake end of the vent passage is not essentialto a proper venting of the device, but is advantageous as herein showninasmuch as its location tends to prevent entrance of dust or foreignmatter to the vent passage. The said vent passage may be formed in apart integral with the fitting 12, or it may be formed between saidfitting and a separate casing or shell 21, the latter being shown inFigs. 2 and 3.

I11 Fig. 4 I have shown a. fitting 24 made generally similar to thefitting 12 shown in the previously described figures. In thisconstruction the vent passage 25 is shown as formed between the outerwall of the fitting and a sheet metal casing 26 suitably secured to saidouter wall of the casing and extending upwardly from the horizontalbranch 27 of the fitting to or near the level of the intake branch 28thereof. The said vent passage 25 communicates with the interior of thefitting through an opening 29 located adjacent to the bottom or innerend wall 30 The vent passage communicates, as herein shown, with theatmos phere through a vent opening 31 formed in the sheet metal wall ofthe passage near the upper end thereof. The said opening 31 may beformed by punching outwardly the metal constituting the shell 26 and thematerial thus punched out may be arranged to form a lip or projection 32which overhangs the opening to prevent dirt or other foreign passage.The operation of this form of the device is essentially the same as thatof the device previously described and such operation need not berepeated here.

In Fig. 5 I have shown another modification in which the fitting 35 ismade substantially like that illustrated in the other figures; itcomprising an intake branch 36 and an outlet branch 37 located at alevel below the intake branch and connected thereto by a transverseportion. The said fitting is provided with a vent passage 38 having anopening 39 near its upper end. The said I vent passage instead ofcommunicating with the lnterlor of the fitting and the receptaclethrough an opening leading directly from the lnner or lower end of thevent passage, as in the previously described construction,

communicates with the receptacle through the medium of a pipe 40 whichextends horizontally outwardly through the intake bran-ch36 and throughthe vertical wall of lower end wall 42 of the vent passage. In

the operation of this form of the device, when the cook or faucet isopen liquid passes freely through the fitting, and air passes throughthe opening 39, the vent passage 38 and the pipe 40 to the interior ofthe receptacle to vent the latter. WVhen the faucet is closed, however,liquid passes through the pipe 40 into the vent passage in a sufficientquantity to submerge and seal the lower end of the down-turned portion41 of said pipe, and thus cuts ofi entrance of air from the receptacle.As soon as the faucet is again open the withdrawal of liquid from thereceptacle permits the air to enter the vent passage and force theliquid, which theretofore sealed the lower end of the down-turned Iportion 41 of the pipe 40, upwardly through said pipe back into thereceptacle, whereupon a vent is established from the exterior of thereceptacle to the interior thereof to permit the free out-flow of liquidtherefrom as long as the faucet or other liquid controlling device isadjusted to permit the outflow of liquid.

It will be observed that I have provided an exceedingly simple andefficient device M for controlling the inlet of air to a receptacle tovent the same during the out-flow of liquid therefrom, and forautomatically sealing the venting means as soon as the out-flow ofliquid from the receptacle is arrested. The vent passage isautomatically opened by the mere act of opening the liquid controllingvalve and such opening of the vent passage and its subsequent sealingafter the flow of liquid is arrested are effected without the employmentof movable parts. The device is, therefore, free from derangement andthe parts are always ready to serve the functions which they aredesigned to perform.

The arrangement described prevents loss of gas from the receptacle whenthe liquid therein is charged with gas, the vent passage being sealedfrom the escape of gas.

WVhile I have herein shown a number of forms of constructions capable ofproducing the results for which my invention is designed, it will beunderstood that the invention is not limited to the structural detailsherein illustrated and suggested except as such details are hereinaftermade the sub ject of specific claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A draw-off fitting for hermetically closedliquid receptacles combined with a manually operable device forcontrolling the flow of liquid therethrough and provided with means forautomatically venting the 7 closed liquid receptacles fitting andreceptacle when the controlling device is opened, said venting meansbeing adapted to be automatically closed, when the controlling device isclosed by a liquid 1 seal supplied with liquid from the receptacle priorto its passage through the fitting.

2. A draw-oil fitting for hermetically provided with a liquid dischargepassage and combined with means for controlling the flow of liquidthrough said passage, said fitting being provided with a separate ventpassage which opens at one end to the atmosphere and at its other end tothe interior of the fitting and receptacle and is arranged to be closedto the atmosphere by a liquid seal when said discharge passage is closedand is adapted to be automatically opened by breaking said seal to admitair to the receptacle when said discharge passage is opened.

3. A draw-off fitting for hermetically closed liquid receptaclescombined with a manually operable device for controlling the flow ofliquid therethrough and provided with a vent passage that is adapted tobe closed by a liquid seal within the fittin supplied with liquid fromthe receptace prior to its passage from the fitting, when thecontrolling device is closed, said liquid seal being subjected at oneside to atmospheric pressure.

i. A draw-off fitting for hermetically closed liquid receptaclescombined with i means for controlling the flow of liquid therethroughand provided with a vent passage open at one end to the atmosphere andat its other end to the interior of the fitting, said latter openingbeing arranged to be automatically closed by a liquid seal when the flowof liquid through the fitting is arrested.

5. A draw-oif fitting for hermetically closed liquid receptacles havingits intake end arranged for connection with a receptacle and havlng itsoutlet end below said inlet end and associated with means forcontrolling the flow of liquid therethrough, said fitting being providedabove said outlet end with a vent opening arranged to be antomatically,closed by a liquid seal when the flow of liquid through the fitting isarrested.

6. A draw-0E fitting for hermetically closed liquid receptacles havingits intake end arranged for connection with a receptacle and having itsoutlet end below said inlet end and associated with means forcontrolling the flow of liquid therethrough, said fitting being providedwith a vent passage, one end of which terminates adjacent to thereceptacle and the other end of which communicates with the interior ofthe fitting through an opening located above the outlet end of thefitting and arranged to be closed by a. liquid seal when the flow ofliquid through the receptacle is arrested.

7. A coupling fitting for connecting a faucet with a liquid receptaclehaving means for connecting'it with a receptacle and with a faucet andprovided with a vent passage above the end thereof which connects withthe faucet, said vent passage opening to the atmosphere and to theinterior of the fitting and1 being arranged to be closed by a liquid sea8. A coupling fitting for connecting a faucet with a liquid receptaclecomprisingvertically offset intake and outlet ends, the latter designedfor connection with a faucet, said fitting being provided with a. ventpassage which opens at one end to the atmosphere and opens at its otherend to the interior of the fitting at a point above the outlet end andarranged to be liquid sealed.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 3rd day of December A.D. 1908.

JOHN L. FATE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE R. WILKINS, T. H. ALFREDs.

